Combined cigar clipper and lighter.



R. E. ZELLERS.

COMBINED CIGAR CLIPPER AND LIGHTER.

APPLICATION FILED .IUNE I8. I9I4.

Patented Oct. 26, 1915.

Wz' tn eas es in vezz. tor Q'KMQMKI Robert E. Zellers W ffi w.

Attorney nnrr ROBERT E. ZELLERS, 0F TENINO, WASHINGTON.

COMBINED'GIGAR CLIPPER AND LIGHTER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented (Pet. 26, 1915.

Application filed June 18, 1914. Serial No. 845,952.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that 1, ROBERT E. ZELLERS, a citizen of the United States, and resident of Tenino, Thurston county, Washington, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Combined Cigar Clippers and Lighters, of which the following is a specification.

My invention relates to cigar clippers and lighters, and comprises certain novel elements and combinations thereof which will be hereinafter pointed out.

The object of my invention is first, to produce a better and simpler cigar cutter and lighter, and particularly to produce one having incorporated therein features of con struction which will insure thorough and continuous sterilization of the cigar clipping elements.

In the accompanying drawings I have shown my invention in its present preferred form.

Figure l is an elevation of my. device with parts thereof in section. Fig. 2 is a sectional elevation through the upper cigar clipping element, taken upon the line AA of Fig. 1. Fig. 3 is an under plan view of the cutting parts.

The usual cigar clippers make it possible that disease germs may be transmitted from one person to another by their use. It is very common practice among smokers to place the tip of the cigar in the mouth and moisten it before clipping off the end. In this way it is possible for disease germs to be transmitted to the clipper and then be retransmitted from the clipper through the medium of another cigar to another person. It is a common practice to have cigar light ers upon all cigar stands, which lighters are quite commonly small, continuously lighted gas flames. In my present invention I have combined such a cigar lighting flame with a clipper in such a way that the clipping ele ments of the device are continuously heated by the flame to such a degree as to kill the disease germs, thus thoroughly sterilizing it and preventing the possibility of-transmis sion through its use.

The type of clipper used is immaterial, if it be possible to maintain the cutting elements thereof in position so that they may be heated by the lighting flame to the necessary temperature.

I do not therefore wish to be limited to the use of the precise type of clipping mechanism herein shown.

The clipping mechanism shown consists of the following parts. A stand or frame of the device, consists of a base 1, and a standard or post 10. On the upper end of this post is hinged an arm 2. The pivot 11 by which this arm and the post are connected is, in the construction herein shown, placed with its axis horizontal, the arm 2 projectlng in a direction approximating the hori zontal, over the base 1. To the arm 2 is secured a blade 3 which projects beyond the outer end of the arm, and is provided with a hole 30 in such projecting portion, for the reception of the tip of the cigar. To serve as aguard and a guide to cause the clip pings to fall into the bowl beneath, the outer end of the blade 3 may be bent down, as shown at 31. I prefer to place a layer 20 of heat insulating material, as asbestos, between the arm 2 and the blade 3. I may also place a button or plate, as 21, upon the upper surface of this arm, by which it may be engaged by the hand to depress it, without incurring the risk of burning the hand.

Upon the standard 10, or any convenient support, located beneath the pivot 11, is secured a cutting blade l. This cutting blade is preferably made of thin spring steel. Its upper end engages the under surface of the steel blade 3 to support the same. In its normal or free position, the upper end of the cutting blade 1 would he a short dis tance inside of the hole 30, through which the tip of the cigar, is projected. If, with the cigar in this position, the arm 2 is de pressed, the spring blade l will yield, and its end will slide outward in contact with the under surface of the blade 8, passing across the hole through which the tip of the cigar has been passed; the result is that the tip of the cigar is clipped off, and drops down into the receiving bowl 5. If desired, an additional spring bar or strip 40, may be secured by the same means which holds the knife blade 4, thus strengthening the spring action of the knife blade.

The base 1 is provided with a low boss 12, which is vertically bored, and is also horizontally bored to receive the end of a small tube 6 which is connected, as by a rubber tube, with some source of supply of gas. A short tube 7, forms an upward extension of the boss 12, and also serves as the mixing tube of a Bunsen burner. The base 1 is preferably slightly hollowed or grooved, as at 13, so as to provide passages through which air may obtain access to the'bore. ll in the boss 12. The tube 6 is provided with a small lateralhole which is located in its upper side, and within the bore M. This discharges the jet of gas upward into the mixing tube 7, and draws the air along with it.

The clippings-receiving cup 5 is supported upon the tube 7, the means shown by which this is done consisting of a short sleeve 50, which is of such size as to fit snugly upon the tube 7, where it is held by frictional grip thereto ZIUSVllZltGVQl elevation it may be placed. This bowl serves as a receptacle for the clippings, and is also in the nature of a wind shield for the burner. This latter feature may be increased in its action by drawing the bowl to a. higher position, as indicated by dotted lines.

The upper end of the cutting blade 4 is preferably slightly curved by producing a shallow concavity extending over the central portion of its width. This produces a curved cutting edge ll, as shown in Fig. 2. This relieves the cutting portion of the end of the blade from rubbing contact with the strip 3, an d consequently prevents dulling of the cutting edge by such contact. I

The point where the tip of the cigar is cut and the burner, areso located that the flame from the burner will maintain the cutting elements heated. The distance between the burner and the cutting elements when the latter are in their normal position should be so regulated, with reference to the size of the fiame and its heating capacity, that the cutting elements will be maintained heated to such a temperature as will destroy disease germs, and yet not to such a temperature as will draw the temper from the cutting blades. The clippings receiving cup 5 may be lifted off the burner tube 7 when it is desired to empty out the clippings.

It is evident that a combined cigar clipper and lighter constructed on the principles herein disclosed will not serve as an element in the dissemination of disease germs, as such germs, ifdeposited on the clipper, will be immediately killed. The clipping elements may be readily maintained at a tem perature which is considerably in excess of that ofboiling water without seriously affecting their temper and their cutting efliciency. I

What I claim as my invention and desire to patent is:

1. The combination with a cigar cutter, of means for continuously maintaining a sterilizing temperature upon the cutting elements. I

2. The combination, in a cigar cutter, of

movable cutting elements, means for maintaining a sterilizing temperature upon the cutting elements, and an actuating member having a heat-insulated connection with the cutting elements.

3. The combination, in a cigar cutter, of movable cutting elements, a burner positioned to normally maintain a sterilizing temperature upon the cutting elements, an actuating member having a heat-insulated connection with the cutting elements, and a tip-receiving cup surrounding the burner.

4c. The combination, in a cigar cutter, of movable cutting elements, means for maintaining a sterilizing temperature upon the cutting elements, an actuating member having a heat-insulated connection with the cutting elements, and a tip-receiving cup surrounding the burner, and adjustable vertically with reference to the burner.

5. A combined cigar clipper and lighter comprising a clipping mechanism, a lighting burner beneath the clipping elements of the clipper and maintaining a sterilizing temperature upon said clipping elements when the parts are in normal position, and a bowl surrounding said burner and serving both as receptacle for the clippings and as a protective screen for the burner.

6. In a combined cigar clipper and lighter, a clipping mechanism, a bowl in position to receive the clippings, a burner located within the bowl, and means for vertically adjusting the bowl relative to the burner.

7 A combined cigar clipper and lighter comprising a clipping mechanism, a burner having an upwardly extending tip located beneath the clipping elements and to normally maintain a sterilizing temperature upon the clipping elements, and a bowl having a sleeve secured to and extending upward therein and adapted to fit over the burner tip and to maintain the bowl by frictional engagement with said tip.

8. A combined cigar clipper and lighter comprising a burner having a vertical tubular tip, a clippings-receiving cup having a hole in its bottom fitting over said tube, a pivoted cutting arm having a cigar-tip-receiving opening located over the burner and cup, and a cutting blade actuated by the swinging movement of the arm to pass its cutting edge across said cigar-tip-receiving opening.

9. A combined cigar clipper and lighter comprising, a base, alighting burner carried by said base, a post extending upward from the base and having a pivot bearing located above and laterally removed from the burner tip, an arm hinged at said pivot bearing and extending over the burner, a blade secured to and projecting beyond said arm and having a cigar-'tip-receiving hole in said projecting part located over the burner in position to be normally maintained thereby at a sterilizing temperature, a coniplemental cutting blade composed of a spring blade secured to the post beneath the pivot connection of the arm therewith and having its cutting end normally located just Without the cigar tipreceiving hole at the side toward the post.

10. A combined cigar clipper and lighter comprising a base, a lighting burner carried by said base, a post extending upward from the base and having a pivot bearing located above and laterally removed from the burner tip, an arm hinged at said pivot bearing and extending over the burner, a blade secured to and projecting beyond said arm and having a cigar-tip-receiving hole in said projecting part located over the burner in position to be thereby maintained at a sterilizing temperature, a complemental cutting blade composed of a spring blade secured to the post beneath the pivot connection of the arm therewith and having its cutting end normally located just outside the cigar-tip-receiving hole, and a clippings-receiving cup having a sleeve embracing the burner tube and thereby frictionally supporting the cup.

11. A cigar cutter comprising a hinged arm having a hole for the reception of the cigar tip, a cutting blade spring-pressed against said arm and supported at a point removed laterally from the pivot of said arm, and means for normally maintaining the cutting elements at a sterilizing temperature.

12. A cigar cutter comprising a stand, an arm hinged upon said stand and carrying a plate provided with a cigar-tip-receiving hole and a guard extending downwardly and located outwardly from said hole, a cutting blade spring-pressed against the surface of the plate which contains the cigar-tip-receiving hole, means whereby said cutting blade is actuated to move across said hole when the hinged arm is depressed, and a lighter having its flame located to normally maintain a sterilizing temperature upon the cutting edges.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto affixed my signature this 13th day of June, 1914:.

ROBERT E. ZELLERS.

Witnesses:

PENRosE L. MOELWAIN, HENRY L. REYNOLDS.

Gopies of this patent may be obtained for five cento each, by addressing the Commissioner oi! Patents, Washington, D. G. 

